1. The first rule of mine safety
is, DO NOT ENTER. No kidding, I know you probably just hiked miles to get there, but
is it worth your life or limb just to see a cold, damp,
rock-walled tunnel? If you absolutely must go in then do so in
pairs and leave someone at the entrance to go for help. Go with a
professional if you can.

2. Mines can be the home to many creatures that
you may not want to meet under any circumstances, let alone in
the darkness with one route of escape. To name just a few, Black widow spiders, scorpions, raccoons, bears,
and the not so friendly rattlesnake. Snakes are a
particular hazard in shallow shafts and shafts with near-surface
work levels.

3. A mineshaft can be very
deceptive. Because there is little or no light in the hole most
people do not hesitate to peer over the edge and look in.
Normally with a feeling of height the reaction is to
"pullback" but with shafts and the lack of light, the
height is not so evident. The fall into a shaft however can be
just as lethal as falling off a sheer cliff.

4. The timber in old mines is usually decayed. Often it has the
appearance of a perfectly good piece of wood when actually it
could be crushed with just the squeeze of the hand. Timber is
often loose and will fall at the slightest touch. Quite often a
well timbered mine will give you a false sense of security as
these timbers also are probably rotten. Ladders often have rungs
missing and any weight at all can cause them to fall apart.

5. Winces are sunk in the floor of the tunnel
and are usually boarded over. If these boards are decayed it is a
perfect trap waiting for an unwary victim.

6. Many mines have standing water in them or
small steams flowing out of them. It is impossible to see the
bottom making it a great danger that you could fall into a wince
or other deep hole. Water often lies at the bottom of shafts
making you a possible drowning victim.

7. Many abandoned mine shafts and tunnels
contain explosives left behind by careless workers. Explosives
should never be handled by anyone not thoroughly familiar with
them. Even old time miners wont handle them, as they are
extremely volatile.

8. Cave-ins can happen any time. Small
disturbances or vibrations caused by walking or speaking can
cause a cave-in . Rock is often
decomposed and the timbers rotten leaving the shaft or tunnel
primed for just the right conditions to cave-in.

9. Carbon monoxide and carbon
dioxide often collect in low area of the mine and along the floor
in horizontal workings. Motion in the air caused by walking in
can often stir up these gases and cause them to mix with the good
air making it a lethal combination.

As I said in #1, it is always best to
stay out of mines as well as caves and water tunnels. If by
chance you find your self in a predicament in the Altadena
area try to reach 911 or Altadena Mountain Rescue.